keskiviikko 9. maaliskuuta 2011

This blog post got its roots from three of my latest work related social media (SOME) experiences: 1) quality management work with WIKI, 2) online news Salpaus Monday Morning News and 2) using online video conference instead of face-to-face- meeting.

Social media to improve quality management
Social media tools require users to familiarize themselves with the tool itself, for example WIKI online group work. Online group work will be initiated, to be aware of participating in the common goal of working as a concrete example, the output document, whose structure and content must be a certain shape. Participants should be aware of the milestones, schedules and division of tasks between the different roles of the experts working together. This requires a collective agreement or rules of the game to work online. In addition, a further commitment to the work of the participants and the promoter patience to guide the work toward a common goal. So far, we have used in our organization a WIKI environment, only a description of the quality of processing. WIKI would be a great social media tool for quality management systems to improve staff's increasing participation to quality assurance work. This could ensure that the entire organization's quality management systems are going be more transparent, which will improve the organization's quality improvement generally.

Organization's video online news
Somehow it seems so much easier to communicate by talking face-to-face, when there is non-verbal communication aid. Face-to-face- communication on the other hand, does not leave traces, unless the conversation is being recorded or videoed, as we have begun to make in Salpaus Monday Morning News. I was a guest for Salpaus Morning News on 21st February 2011. At the same time, it was my first experience of how the video recording and chat option can be combined with each other. Was it a social media event? Yes it was, as it was via video in real time online to connect with about 30 different people. One of them sent a question through the news studio to chat about the issue, which took place in real time debate. This face to face- event moved to the online event and started to live its own story about the various SOME communities (Facebook, Twitter and blogs). It was a great experience on how we could use more videos and chat opportunities for organization’s inside and outside communication.

Online meetings
My recent experience of the use of social media as part of leadership took place in last week, when we held our management team’s meeting by using online video conference. Management team's meetings usually last two and a half hours. Video conference meeting lasted just over an hour. Some time of the begin of the meeting went to the equipment testing. Participants' first experiences were positive. Discussion progressed to the point and so-called useless discussions and too deeply reflections avoided. Video conferences are therefore a very active tool for using as part of management and/or leadership. We could use more videos as part of management/leadership and combine face-to-face- meetings and online- working with social media- tools more efficiency together.

My meaningful SOME- learning experiences
First of all, while using social media, the techniques of the tools have to be studied and tested carefully before using them. We have to give us time to learn how SOME- tools are working as part of leadership and management. Let's be patient and forgive us failures that we make in the begin while using social media- tools and social media give us great learning and renewing opportunities while acting/working online.